This invention relates to a method and apparatus for wet processing photosensitive material, particularly silver halide photosensitive material.
In general, photosensitive material, particularly silver halide photosensitive material after exposure is subjected to a series of wet processing steps including development, fixation or bleach-fixation, and washing. Such a series of processing steps are most often carried out by means of an automatic developing machine having developing, fixing or bleach fixing, and washing tanks built therein. Photosensitive material is successively passed through the solutions in these tanks.
Environmental protection and resource saving are general demands. Photographic processing is not the exception. Saving processing solution, particularly developing solution is one of outstanding tasks in the art. Developing efficiency must be increased before developing solution can be saved. In fact, it is known that developing efficiency can be increased by the use of a plurality of developing tanks each containing a divided portion of developing solution. One known practical procedure capable of development with a less amount of developing solution is a multi-stage counter flow procedure usually including 2 to 9 stages.
Such a procedure utilizes a plurality of juxtaposed processing tanks, resulting in a relatively large size of apparatus requiring a relatively large space for installation. Also a reduction in consumption of developing solution or amount thereof replenished is still insufficient.